Drawer for filing cabinets



y 1934- F. A. SCHMITZ 1,959,066

DRAWER FOR FILING CABINETS Filed Jan. 29, 1934 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS NITEDSTATES PAT NT OFFHCE DRAWER FOR FILING CABINETS Fred A. Schmitz,Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Globe-Wernicke Company, Nor-Wood,Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application January 29,

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in filing or transfer cases orunits, each unit consisting of a cabinet and drawer, the cabinetsadapted to be stacked one upon another in a tier and interlocked witheach other against lateral and vertical displacement. The interlockingagainst vertical displacement is generally at the rear ends of thecabinets to prevent the same from tilting under the weight of thedrawers when open.

The present invention is particularly directed to the structure of thedrawer and this application is based upon the application issued inLetters Patent No. 1,934,880, to Fred A. Schmitz, for Filing cabinet,dated November 7, 1933.

An object of the invention is to provide a drawer for a filing cabinetcomposed of metallic framing and press or paper board side walls andbase panel possessing the necessary stability and capable of manufactureat a reduction in cost over an all metal structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved structure offiling cabinet drawer capable of being merchandized in a knock-downcondition for compactly packing in a flat package and the parts easilyand conveniently assembled by the user.

Various other features and advantages of the invention will be morefully set forth in the description of the accompanying drawing, inwhich:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drawer.

Figure 2 is a cross section through the drawer and cabinet therefor.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3, Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the upper portion of one end ofa side wall or panel of the drawer.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a cabinet of rectangular structurecomposed of opposite side walls 2-2, and top wall 3, with the base,front and rear ends open. A drawer holding cabinet with closed sides andtop and open ends and base, is characteristic to filing and transfercases. which are stacked one upon another in any selected number for atier.

The framework for the front and rear ends of the cabinet is ofsuflicient stability to sustain the load in stacking several units in atier, and the units, when stacked, interlock at their oppositelongitudinal ends to prevent displacement. The structure of both cabinetand drawer provides for merchandizing the unit in a knockdown condition,conveniently and readily assembled for use.

1934, Serial No. 708,726

The front and rear ends of the side and top walls of the cabinetrespectively connect to a frame 4 formed of strip or bar metal stock,and these end frames at their lower opposite corners are connected byangle bars 5-5 which serve as rails for the drawer.

The structure of the cabinet forming no part of the present invention,further detail description thereof will be herein omitted and referencemay be had to said aforesaid patent for a more specific description ofthe type of cabinet with which the drawer, to which the presentinvention is directed, is applicable. It is obvious, however, that thedrawer is interchangeable with other types of cabinet constructions ofappropriate size, having open front and rear ends, although notnecessarily limited to a cabinet having an open rear end.

The drawer comprises opposite press or fiber board side panels or walls66 and a bottom 7. The side walls are of half-drawer height dimensionand at their opposite longitudinal ends are removably connected each endrespectively to an inturned flange of a front wall 8 and a rear wall 9.The front and rear walls are formed of sheet metal and of a dimension toserve as a closure for the corresponding ends of a cabinet into whichthe drawer is inserted, this latter feature being common to'filing ortransfer cases.

The front and rear end walls of the drawer each are marginally flangedinward with the flanging for the top edge either double flanged or rolledged to avoid exposing a thin sheet metal edge which may injure thehands of-the user and to give finish and added strength to the upperfree end of the Wall.

Toe end walls are joined or connected by a pair of angle strips 10-10respectively removably fixed to the inturned flanges of the front andrear walls at the lower corners thereof. The angle strips each arelongitudinally corrugated at the juncture of the limbs forming alongitudinal channel for the reception of the lower edge of a side panelor wall of the drawer and a ridge or runner for the outer side of thestrip, to slide upon a rafl or ledge of the cabinet. The bottom panel ofthe drawer has its longitudinal margins or edges engaged upon thehorizontal limbs of the tie strips and riveted or otherwise securedthereto, and its opposite ends are engaged over and supported upon thelower inturned flanges of the sheet metal end walls 8, 9. The upperlongitudinal edges of the side walls or panel are metal bound with theends of the metal binding 11, each provided with a connecting plate 12,welded thereto and of sufficient metal thickness for screw-threading forremovably securing the same to a side flange of an end wall by a screw.A similar method is employed for the opposite ends of the angle-shapedtie rails or strips, as they are of a comparatively thin gauge sheetmetal which would not furnish a suflicient metal thickness forscrew-threading.

The bottom may be made of sections longitudinally joined together by adouble channeled strip 13 as shown in Figure 2, the strip for a slipjoint connection of the section, each section engaged into a channel ofthe strip. The strip stiffens the bottom sustaining the same againstflexing under the weight imposed thereon.

The drawer in the knock-down consists of the separate front and rearsheet metal Walls 8 and 9, the duplex side walls 66 metal bound alongone longitudinal edge and a bottom panel '7 and angle tie strips 10l0respectively fixed to the opposite longitudinal edges of the bottompanel. These parts can be easily set up by the user into a very rigidstructure, and in their knockdown condition can be very compactlypackaged for storage and shipment.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A drawer for filing case, comprising front and rear sheet metalwalls, each marginally flanged inward, angle-shaped strips connectingsaid front and rear walls, a press board panel for the bottom of thedrawer fixed to said angle strips, and press board side walls, eachhaving a metal bound upper longitudinal edge, the metal binding at itsopposite ends secured respectively to an inturned flange of said frontand rear walls, and the lower longitudinal edge of each of said sidewalls engaged within a channel of a respective angle strip.

2. A drawer for filing case, comprising front and rear sheet metalwalls, each marginally flanged inward, angle-shaped strips connectingsaid front and rear walls, a press board panel for the bottom of thedrawer fixed to said angle strips, and press board side walls, eachhaving a metal bound upper longitudinal edge, the metal binding at itsopposite ends secured respectively to an inturned flange of said frontand rear walls.

3. A drawer for filing case, comprising front and rear sheet metalwalls, angle-shaped strips removably connecting said front and rearwalls,

a press board panel for the bottom of the drawer fixed to said anglestrips, and press board side walls, each having a metal bound upperlongitudinal edge, the metal binding at its opposite ends securedrespectively to said front and rear walls, and the lower longitudinaledge of each of said side walls engaged between an edge of the bottomand a respective angle strip.

4. A drawer for filing case, comprising front and rear sheet metalwalls, angle-shaped strips removably connecting said front and rearwalls, a press board panel for the bottom of the drawer fixed to saidangle strips, and press board side walls, each having a metal boundupper longitudinal edge, the metal binding at its opposite endsremovably secured respectively to said front and rear Walls.

5. A drawer for filing case, comprising front and rear sheet metalwalls, each marginally flanged inward, angle-shaped strips connectingsaid front and rear walls, a press board sectional panel for the bottomof the drawer fixed to the angle strips, the adjoining longitudinaledges of the bottom panel sections in slip connection with a metal stripconnecting the sections and longitudinally reinforcing the panel, andpress board side walls, each having a metal bound upper longitudinaledge, the metal binding at its opposite ends respectively secured to aninturned flange of said front and rear walls.

6. A drawer for filing case, comprising front and rear sheet metalwalls, each marginally flanged inward, angle-shaped strips connectingsaid front and rear Walls at the lower corners thereof, each angle striphaving a longitudinal corrugation providing a runner for the drawer, apress board sectional panel for the bottom of the drawer fixed to theangle strips, the adjoining longitudinal edges of the bottom panelsections in slip connection with a metal strip connecting the sectionand longitudinally reinforcing the panel, and press board side walls,each having a metal bound upper longitudinal edge, the metal binding atits opposite ends respectively secured to an inturned flange of saidfront and rear walls.

7. A drawer for filing case, comprising front and rear sheet metalwalls, each marginally flanged inward, angle-shaped strips connectingsaid front and rear walls at the lower corners thereof, each angle striphaving a longitudinal corrugation providing a runner for the drawer, apanel for the bottom of the drawer fixed to the angle strips and sidewalls, each having its upper longitudinal edge reinforced and at the opposite longitudinal ends of the reinforcement connected respectively tothe front and rear walls.

FRED A. SCHMITZ.

